Vertical Markets

Leeds Met goes 360

by Mark Rowe

Leeds Metropolitan University has 360-degree surveillance cameras from Oncam Grandeye. The cameras will replace part of the existing CCTV system and will cover two main campus entranceways, the retail area, and the ground floor of the library. They provide virtual pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) and de-warping of footage for tracking and viewing, live and retrospectively.

Leeds Metropolitan provides higher education to 28,000 students and has a staff of 2900. The campus’ buildings are open to the public with large spaces, common areas and typical obstructions. Traditionally, the makers say, these areas have been a challenge to monitor effectively, requiring a number of fixed or PTZ cameras to eliminate blind spots or track movement. The university wanted to replace ageing kit.

Lorraine Foster, security manager at the university, says: “Our existing network of close to 400 cameras, almost all of them analogue, has served us well, but as the university has grown and become busier, the system has struggled to keep pace.” The university can typically replace three or four of its old cameras with one Oncam Grandeye 360-degree and the makers say get better coverage.

She says: “Even if we take old cameras out of circulation when replacing them, we’re still getting better value with the Oncam Grandeye cameras. They are cheaper than a PTZ and only a little more expensive than a fixed camera; they integrate well with our existing Honeywell NVR technology; they are straightforward for OpenView, our security maintenance provider, to install; and they deliver amazing coverage and quality of footage, streets ahead of what we could achieve before.”

The de-warping function allows footage to be viewed without the ‘fisheye’ effect caused by 360-degree filming. The result allows for faster and more accurate identification of suspects, the makers say. In an incident within the first six months of deployment, one of the entranceway cameras supported the tracking, catching and identifying of a suspect linked to a string of burglaries on campus.

She says “The Oncam Grandeye cameras have clearly proven their value. Their quality and coverage allow us to do more to prevent theft and protect people. A security system designed to use these cameras to their full potential will be a real benefit to our university for years to come.” Visit http://www.oncamgrandeye.com/.

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